The Photography Contest 2010

James White, Chairman

The categories are as follows:
1. Underwater Life Identification (Individual Photos) - Prints, Advanced Class
2. Underwater Life Identification (Individual Photos) - Prints, Open Class
3. Underwater Life (Groups or Tank Photos including Planted & Reef Tanks) - Prints, Advanced Class
4. Underwater Life (Groups or Tank Photos including Planted & Reef Tanks) - Prints, Open Class
5. NEC Activities People Pictures (NEC Members at any NEC Event) - Prints

The advanced class is for anyone who has ever received a first place award in any aquarium related photo competition or who has been paid for any photographic aquarium related subject. All others may enter in the open class. For categories 1 and 2, we are asking for photos of an individual specimen of underwater life and its scientific name. Categories 3 and 4 pertain to any underwater life and may be photos of planted or reef tanks not containing live animals. Shots with multiple species do not need to include the scientific names.

How are the prints judged? There are several NEC members with photography backgrounds who help with the judging every year, and we agree that the quality of the print is a factor in a photograph, especially since more and more digital prints are being submitted. There have been several very nice pictures entered in the last few years that have been eliminated because the printing was poor. Home printers are convenient, but if the photo has a lot of obvious streaks and print flaws, chances are it will not place. In addition, focus is very important. Usually the first pictures eliminated during judging are the ones that are out of focus, and the ones of poor print quality.

Another factor involved in the judging is lighting. Is the animal lit properly so the colors and details can be seen? A photo will lose points if the subject is too dark or too washed out. In addition, the glare of a flash bulb in the photo is something that detracts from the picture.    

Composition is also considered, and while that can be subjective at times, you should consider how your photo is cropped. Too close and the photo might feel a bit cramped, too far away and you might have too much empty or useless space. Also, is the subject of the photo clearly defined or is the picture too busy and muddled? For instance, is the picture of your fish hiding in the rocks so busy that you cannot tell if the photo is about the fish or the rocks? Is there so much going on in the picture you cannot tell what the subject is? Also, what is being photographed has no bearing on the judging. It needs to be remembered that a photo of an interesting fish is not always going to be an interesting photo.

So to sum up, it is all about composition, lighting, focus and print quality. Hopefully, these few quick pointers will be helpful, but if anyone has any questions please e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The contest is open to all NEC members and anyone registered for this year's annual convention.

 Click here to download the Photo Contest entry form and rules.